Can strip remover



- 23, 1957 e. KOREGELOS ET AL 2,800,246

CAN STRIP REMOVER Filed July 11,1955

Tia.5.

' INVENTORS M/CH/IEL 6'. RAF-TONI 60/?G f1 ORE 651.05

CAN STRIP REMOVER George Koregelos, Oakland, and Michael G. Rafton, Piedmont, Calif.

Application July 11, 195.5,.SerialNo. 521,014 4 Claims. (Cl. 220-52) This invention relates to devices .for removing strips on metal cans so as to permit removal of the cover and access to the contents thereof.

In conventional practice, it is customary to provide cans containing coifee and other products with .a metal strip portion on the body adjacent the cover .or closure. This strip is adapted to be removed so as to permit removal of the cover or closure from the can body and thereby afford access to the contents of the can. Usually, the tool for performing the strip removing operation merely includes a short rod having a bifurcated end portion, this end portion being adapted to engage the free or tab end of the strip, and by rotating the rod by means of a manually engageable handle, the strip is forcibly pulled from the juncture of the can body and cover. However, it has been found that in using such tools, as the convolutions of the strip are wrapped around the rod there is a tendency for the rod to be displaced from its normal position adjacent the can body in parallel relationship to the can axis, and prevents proper winding of the remaining portion of the strip thereon. Thus, in

many instances, it is necessary for a person to useother tools such as pliers or the like to enable the strip to be completely removed. In an effort to overcome the foregoing, numerous devices have been produced for the express purpose of facilitating the removal of the can strip, but these prior art devices have failed to satisfactorily solve all of the problems attendant to such removal.

Accordingly, it -is an object of the present invention to provide a device for removing the can strip from a can in which means are provided for insuring continuous winding of the strip .upon ashaft or mandrel so as to effect a complete removal of the strip from the can.

Another object of the invention is :to provide a device .of the character described in which such device is maintained in releasable locking engagement with the .can

and with the strip during the complete removal tof-the latter.

A further object of our invention is to provide ardevice of the above character which is capable of proper operation on different sized cans.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a strip removing tool of the type referred to in which means are provided for readily ejecting the convolutely wound removed strip from the mandrel of the device.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tool invention.

of the present Patented July 23, 1 957 "Figure 2 is a .top plan view of the tool (with a portion of the handle broken away and shown in operative position :on two different size cans.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken sub- "stantially in the plane indicated by line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially in the plane indicated byline 4-4 of Figure 2. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially in the .plane indicated by line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 :is an enlarged bottom plan viewof the strip mandrel.

In broad terms, the tool of the present invention is adapted .to be placed in adjacent relationship to a can .whose strip is to be removed and releasably retained in close proximity to the can at constantly changing points along the upper periphery thereof during removal :Of the strip. Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen that the ,tool includes a pair of spaced planar plates, the upper plate being designated by the numeral 12 and the lower plate by the -numeral13, the respective plates being maintained in parallel relationship by end walls '14 and 16. The plates have a generally arcuate form, and .as will be seen in Figure 2, the concave inner peripheral edges of the plates are adapted to be positioned adjacent the side ,of a can with the respective plates positioned above and :below the ,can strip. Extending ver- 'tically upwardly from the upper surface of plate 12 ,is

.a. sleeve or journal 17 which is adapted to slidably and rotatably receive a shank 18. The lower portion of the shank is diametrically enlarged to provide a mandrel 19 :having a .diametrical slot 21 therein, the slot extending for a .distance at least suflicient to completely receive the width .of the can strip. The mandrel 19 normally extends through aligned apertures 22 and 23 formed in the .upper .and lower plates respectively and further downward movement of the shank and mandrel element is prevented -by means of a collar 24 provided on the @shank intermediate the ends of the latter which engages {the upper .end of journal 17. Conversely, a complete withdrawal of the shank and mandrel is prevented by providing the upper end of the journal 17 with an .inwardly .directedflange 26, such flange providing a shoulder 27 against which the upper end shoulder 28 of the mandrel comes into contact upon upward movement thereof.

To facilitate rotation ,of the shank and mandrel element any suitable manually engageable handle 29 may he provided at the upper end of the shank.

In performing the strip removing operation on a .can such as that shown at 31 in the drawing it should be appreciated that most .cans have a peripheral bead 32 adjacent the upper end thereof .and overlying the strip .33 .to ,be removed. In commencing the strip removing from the can such as by engaging the same with an edge 34 of one of the plate end walls. Then, the tab end may be inserted through the slot 21 with the mandral in its lower or operative position illustrated, and the handle 29 rotated so that the strip will bev pulled from the can and wound about the mandrel 19.

As was above explained, a common detect in can strip removing tools is that after successive wraps have been wound about a mandrel the same tends to become misaligned with the strip and changes from its normal position extending parallel to the can axis. Therefore, as an important feature of the present invention, the inner edge of lower plate 13 is adapted to ride along the outer periphery of the can body just below the location of the can strip. Desirably, such lower plate has arcuate edge portions 36 which are merely formed adjacent the ends of the plate, such end portions being adapted for riding engagement on cans of considerable circumferbe disposed adjacent such portion.

'leading edge 38 of the upper plate 12 is recessed rearwardly from the portions 36 and 37 of the lower plate so as'to not interfere therewith and also, so as to permit the tool to be maintained in a vertical position notwith standing the presence of the can bead 32. Edge 38 "may thus be brought into engagement with the can bead With the plates 12 and 13 positioned asshown in Figures 2' throughS of the drawing, means are provided for retaining such position as the tool follows the removed strip along the can periphery. As here illustrated, a rectangular bar 41 is provided which extends from the upper surface of plate 12 in parallel spaced relationship to the shank 18. Mounted for slidable vertical movement on the bar is a square collar 42 having a hook-like projection 43 extending therefrom towards and over the leading edge 38 of the plate. This projection 43, as will be seen in Figure 4 is adapted to overlie the bead of the can and prevent outward movement of the tool from the can, thereby insuring contact of the plate 12 against the side portion of the bead and the plate 13 against a peripheral portion of the can subjacent the strip. It will be un' derstood that as the collar 42 and bar 41 are both of generally square configuration any lifting or pressure applied to the projection, such as in normal use of the tool, will bind the collar on the bar and prevent relative axial movement therebetween. However, it will likewise be appreciated that the collar may be readily moved along the bar by aligning the respective axes thereof when it is necessary to position the collar for either installing the same on a can or removing the same from the can bead.

The width of the plates 12 and 13 are sufliciently great so that as the strip is wound about the mandrel, the convolutions of the strip will remain disposed within the confines of the plates and will prevent the convolutions from being forced against the can side wall and binding further rotation of the mandrel. In furtherance of this, the mandrel may be provided with flattened edge portions 46 at the edges of the slot 21,.and thereby results in a decrease of the overall peripheral extent of the mandrel.

' Also, these flattened portions result in a breaking of the spring-like action normally resulting in the winding of a can strip and thereby permits more ready removal of the strip from can.

After the strip has been completely removed from the can and wound about the mandrel, the tool may be removed from the can by merely raising the projection 43 and its associated collar from the can bead and moving the tool laterally away from the can. Then, it is only necessary to raise the shank 18 and its associated mandrel 19 in its journal and the strip which has been wound about the mandrel will be retained in position by hearing the lower surface of plate 12, and as the mandrel may be completely removed from the spacing between the plates, after it has been moved to its uppermost position the strip may be easily manually removed from the confines between the plates.

While the structure hereinabove described is relatively simple in construction and operation, it fulfills a long standing requirement for a strip remover which is positive in action and easy in operation.

What is claimed is:

l. A can strip removing tool comprising a pair of parallel spaced plates, a member secured to the outer surface of one of said plates, an axially extending element journaled in said member and axially movable therein from a first position wherein an end portion thereof extends between said plates .to a second position wherein said portion is disposed within said member, and one of the edge portions of said plates having an edge formed with a first longitudinally arcuate portion and a second longitudinally arcuate portion disposed between the ends of said first arcuate portion, said second arcuate portion having a smaller radius of curvature than that of said first portion whereby said first portion may. engage the side of a can While the second portion is spaced therefrom.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including a hooklike projection mounted on said upper surface of said plate in laterally spaced relation to said journalled element, and means for.variably positioning the relative spacing between said projection and said surface while maintaining the same in general parallel spaced relationship to said journal member.

3. Apparatus of the character described comprising a pair of generally flat members, means for maintaining said members in spaced parallel relationship, a journal mounted on the outer surface of one of said members, means defining aligned apertures in said plates and in alignment with .said journal, ashaft rotatably mounted in said journal and slidable from a first position in engagement with said apertures to a second position wherein said shaft is completely removed from the space between said plates, a post mounted on said outer surface in parallel relationship to said journal, a projection slidably mounted on said post, and said shaft having a distal end portion provided with a slot extending diametrically thereof.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which said shaft is provided with flattened portions adjacent the distal ends of said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

